Forgiveness
by clearsunrise
Summary: All he wanted was to be forgiven. Would she be willing?


Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.

A/N: Hehe...you guys probably want me to be writing chapter 11 of "Live for Love", but this thing wouldn't leave me alone. I'm working on chapter 11 at the moment, but I wrote this for fun and so I wouldn't lose interest in writing my chapter fic. So yeah, here's my first one-shot. Hope you enjoy it, and if you have time, please review.

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The sun shone down on a beautiful, warm early summer day. The birds flew overhead, chirping happily. Fish splashed along the rushing rivers. Various flowers grew, brightening the green grass. The trees, having lost the flowers from their buds, were covered in green leaves. It seemed like an almost perfect day.

Sokka had gone to catch a few fish in the nearby river, as the rest set up the camp. Aang had already collected his berries, nuts, and fruit.

Katara had just finished her part. Deciding to check on everyone's progress, she glanced around the camp. Seeing that Aang and Toph were almost done, she turned to Zuko. It had been a few weeks since he had joined their small band. Katara still found it hard to trust him, especially after her experience in the cave. Sometimes, she wondered if she was too hard on him, then he would say something completely obnoxious. After that, she would forget her guilty feelings immediately.

Today, she had decided to torture him by making him clean up Appa droppings. After some angry grumbling, and rather amusing facial expressions, he had begun the task given to him. Looking at his progress, she noticed a few missed droppings. Deciding to annoy him, she walked over.

"Hey, Flame Breath," Seeing him tense, she continued, "you missed a few spots."

Still tense, he turned slowly, his face scrunched with restraint. Walking over, he cleaned up said spots, and asked with clenched teeth, "Happy now?"

Turning eyes filled with not-so-well hidden anger, Katara ground out, "No."

Seeing the unspoken "not with you here" written all over her face, Zuko lost his already low patience.

"You know what," he began, his voice getting steadily louder, "I'm tired of this."

Seeing a rant coming, Toph smirked. The only thing on her mind being along the lines of "This should be fun."

Aang, on the other hand, began to worry. This could not be good.

Before Katara could say anything else, Zuko began a rant he had wanted to make for weeks.

"I've been on the run with you guys, sleeping on the ground," he started, "I've made your stupid fires."

With each word, Katara's face showed more and more of her hidden anger. Although, she had to hold back a snort of laughter as during his speech, Zuko seemed to be flapping his arms like a bird.

"We fly around all day on a smelly furball, and then I get to clean up his stupid bison pies."

This one received a sound of indignation from the young Avatar.

Hearing him, Zuko added, "I teach that brat firebending. I'm helping you fight Azula, bring down my father, and betraying my whole nation."

At this, some of Katara's anger left her. She knew how hard it was for him to turn against his family.

"And," Zuko wound down to a finish, no one knowing what could possibly be worse than that last one, "I put up with that annoying idiot you call a brother."

This received a snort of laughter from Toph and a slight grin from Katara.

"What else do you want from me?! What's it going to take to get you to forgive me?!"

Breathing hard from his long-winded outburst, he looked at Katara in defeat as he waited for her answer.

As she was about to give it, Sokka came bursting onto the scene.

"We have to get out of here! Azula and her gang of merry women are right behind me!"

Aang asked, "How did they find us?"

Sokka pointed to Zuko, "Ask him. I'm sure they heard that idiot in the next town."

Said town happened to be thirty miles away. Before any more time could be wasted, they quickly grabbed what they could, tossing it all on Appa.

Before they could take off, however, a fireball came hurtling towards them. Seeing the attack, the small group scattered.

"Well, well, looks like we found them, ladies," Azula smirked in triumph, Mai and Ty Lee on either side of her.

Being near a river, Katara began to pull the water towards her. Azula noticing this, and not wanting to give the water brat the advantage again, began to form her lightening, while she mumbled, "Not this time."

Seeing the attack headed for an inattentive Katara and the rest busy with Mai and Ty Lee, Zuko moved in front of Katara as Azula fired her lightening. Going through the motions his uncle had taught him, Zuko redirected the lightening. However, he made a small miscalculation in his rush to help the girl, and he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

As he fell limp, Katara caught him in her arms, a shocked expression on her face with her jaw almost touching the ground. Sensing the danger and the surprise of the enemy, Toph used the moment of hesitation and formed a large dust cloud. Using the cloud as cover, the group climbed aboard Appa, and with a hurried "Yip, Yip", they escaped.

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When they were sure they were far enough away, an almost hysteric Katara yelled for Appa to be brought down.

Seeing a safe landing area, Aang brought the frazzled bison down. Telling Sokka to help her, Katara and her brother brought Zuko to the ground. Eyes filling with unshed tears; Katara hurried to use the heart healing technique Yagoda had taught her.

Softly, she whispered, "If you die, I'll kill you."

As she finished, the all waited with bated breath. After a moment, Katara began to worry, as Zuko's eyes remained closed. The tears in her eyes slowly began to fall.

Zuko felt splashes of water on his face. Groggily, he tried to open his eyes. Hearing a familiar voice, he slowly began to focus.

"Please wake up," Katara said, "I promise I'll never ask you to clean up bison pies again. Just please wake up."

After a moment, Katara began to lose hope. Her heart breaking slowly with each passing moment, her head fell to rest on the injured firebender's chest. Sobs began to shake her body. Seeing, or hearing in Toph's case, their friend in pain, and their new friend unmoving, Aang and Toph each put a hand on the waterbender's shoulder. Sokka, seeing his baby sister, had an urge to knock the firbender around for making her cry.

"Do I still have to put up with that idiot brother of yours?" asked a tired voice.

Receiving another shock, and beginning to grow tired of them, Katara's head shot up. Staring down, wide-eyed, at the boy, Katara remained silent.

"Hey," he said, exhausted.

He let out a grunt of pain as Katara threw her arms around him. At first too stunned to move, Zuko's arm slowly wrapped around her.

"So," he said, "does that mean you forgive me?"

Slowly moving back to look into his eyes, Katara smiled, "I already forgave you awhile ago, you idiot. Why did you think I didn't object to you traveling with us?"

A slight smile passed Zuko's face, as Sokka began yelling something about getting his hands off Katara. Zuko didn't hear a word, for his mind was completely on Katara's eyes. They held the forgiveness he had been seeking, and his heart made its first steps towards peace.


End file.
